Improvement in the construction of fire-proof safes



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

H. H. BRYANT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENTIN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PROOF SAFES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 86,356, dated February 2, 1869; antedated January 25, 1869.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, H. H. BRYANT, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements on Safes and Vaults; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is avertical section through the improved safe and its door. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a horizontal section through the safe. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, is a perspective of the water chest or chamber removed from the safe. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a vertical central section through a safe or vault which is permanently inclosed within masonry, and provided with a water supplementary reservoir above it. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a vertical section through a safe which is provided with water-supply pipes about its sides, which are sealed with fusible plugs. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the safe shown in Fig. 5.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of one or more steam-chambers or passages within a safe or vault, and forming or inclosing said steam chambers or passages by the use of plaster-of-paris, cement, or otherporous and absorbent substances, and in the employment, in conjunction therewith, of certain means whereby water or other suitable steam-generating liquid can be practically used within or about the walls of the safe or vault, and so arranged that the steam which may be generated therein shall escape thence into said steam chambers or passages, as is hereinafter more fully described.

It also consists in combining, with apermanently-established safe or vault that is provided with one or more vessels or chambers containing or suitable to receive water or other suitable steam-generating liquid, whose walls, in other respects, are constructed as herein sb own or after any other approved method, renderin g, or intending to render, the structure fire-proof in and of themselves for a given length of time, certainmeans whereby water or other steam-generating liquid can be conveniently and properly supplied in large quantities to the safe or vault in case of iire.

It will be seen that under this arrangement the best possible security against re is given, for ,the walls of the safe or c vault are constructed after any of the most approved methods for rendering them fire-proof, and, superadded to these, I combine the use of an inexhaustible supplyT of water, so far as it is possible to reach that consummation,` and this supply of water, if not failing, will protect not only the contents of the safe or vault, but the structure itself, from any material damage for almost any length of time.

Further, my invention provides for constructing the vessels or chambers for containing water or other suitable steam-generating liquid within a safe or vault, so that, should the safe fall 0r sustain a sudden shock from any cause, said vessels or chambers will not be broken or otherwise caused to leak, as might be the case if said vessels or chambers were not made of iiexible material, or even those made of flexible material, and having their seams or parts joined together with solder.

It will appear, as hereinafter described, that those vessels and chambers devised by me are, practically speaking, one sheet of metal, the parts being joined together by fusing, welding, or brazing.

My invention also provides for coating the water or other liquid vessels or chambers with plaster-of-paris or other porous and absorbent non-heat-conducting material, and for retaining said coatingthereon permanently, notwithstanding the safe or vault should sustain a violent fall or shock.

It also provides a device to be used in a portable safe for retaining the steam-generating liquid in the vessels or chambers provided to contain the same, and to allow the escape of the steam that may be generated therein, regardless of the position which said vessels or chambers assume or may be placed in.

My invention further provides for inclosing the space to be used as the place of deposit in a safe or vault with a case or jacket, made of suitable material, and properly fastened to and about the opening or jamb of the door, so as to prevent any steam or vapor that may be generated in the box of the safe or vault from entering into said place of deposit, rendering the same substantially steam-tight again st the l whole internal construction of said safe or vault.

To enable others skilled inthe art to understand my invention, I will describe several practical modes of carrying it into eifect.

- In the accompanying drawings, Arepresents the chamber, which is the place of deposit of the safe or vault, which chamber is inclosed on flve sides by the walls a a, which may be made of any suitable metal, and secured to the stepped striking-bar or iiaring jamb of the door-opening in any suitable manner. In constructing this vessel, which incloses the chamber A, and in securing` it in place within the body of the safe, care should be observed to make the joints steam-tight, so that steam 'shall not be allowed to enter said chamber.

Surrounding the chamber formed by the 've walls a a is'a chamber, O, which is designed for containing water or other suitable steam-generating liquid. This chamber is inclosed by walls b b, which may be made of any suitable metal or material. I prefer to construct these wall b b of lead, because this metal will not readily corrode when subjected to moisture, andy also because the `several plates or sheets b can be readily joined or `welded together by fusingthe lead with a blow-pipe, or in any other suitable way, so as to make the vessel practically seamless, and not liable to break or tear apart and leak should the safe containing it receive a fall or sudden shock. Such a vessel will be sufficiently flexible to resist any ordinary shock or concussion which it might receive in case of fire, andconsequently it is peculiarly adapted for portable safes, or safes which have no established foundation.

Copper or other suitably soft or ductile metal maybe used in the construction of the walls inclosing the liquid-chamber C, instead of lead, if the joints or seams are welded, fused, or brazed in any suitable manner. This liquid vessel or chest is made so as to it snugly about the walls inclosing the chamber A, and near each of its eight corners it is provided with a valve or trap, of such construction that, while steam or vapor will be allowed to escape from said vessel, the water or other liquid in it will be prevented from escaping. For apermanently-fixed safe or vault, one of such valves placed above the water-level in said vessel will answer; but for a portable safe, which may not maintain a given position in case of re, I prefer to have a valve applied near each one of the corners of the liquidvessel, so that whatever position the safe may assume or be placed in, there will always be one or two valves above the level of the liquid in this vessel, which will allow the escape of steam generated in it.

Y The valves may be constructed as follows: d represents a perforated cup, terminating in Va short tube, d', which projects through the outer wall of the vessel or chamber C about one inch,more or less, so that its outer extremityvshall not be covered by a coating, c, of cement or plaster, which is applied to said outer wall, as shown in Fig. l. Within the cup d is a ball, c, which, when forced to its seat at the inner end of the tube d', will prevent the escape of water.

It will be seen that the valve e will drop down under certain conditions, and thus open its tube d', so that steam may escape through this tube from the chamber G. While Iprefer to adopt this valve, I do not confine myself to its use, as any other valve or device which will operate upon the same principle may be used if arranged on the vessel as shown herein.

After constructing the water-vessel G substantially as shown and described, and adjusting it in place about the walls which inclose the chamber A, I introduce over this vesse a wooden case or jacket, D, which isV maden sufficient size to leave a space of an inch, or more `or less, between it and the walls b, and an equal space between it and the outer wall or shell, B, constituting the body of the safe. This wooden jacket having been adjusted centrally in its position, as shown in the drawings, the space which is between it and the walls b is illed with plaster-of-pari s, c, or some other suitable substance or cement. This filling -may be introduced by mixing the plaster of the proper consistency and pouring it into said spacethrough a hole which is made through the wooden jacket for receiving a supply-pipe, h. q

Having constructed lthe inner wall, c, the outer wall, g, is made by filling the space provided for it with liquid plaster, and then introducing the back plate of the safe in its place.

The three walls c, D, and g will perfectlyv fill the space or spacesbetween the outer walls, b, of the water-chamber and the casing or shell B of the safe, and form a solid internal wall surrounding every lpart of the waterchamber except that part or side which incloses the opening left to the place of deposit, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 4, 5, and 6.

In Fig. 1, I have represented a supply-pipe, l1., passing horizontally through the wall of the safe and its illing and entering the liquidchamber C. This pipe is used for illin g said chamber with water, after which voperation it may be closed tightlyby means of a screwplug, h', as shown.

The door G of the safe or vault may be constructed as shown in Fig. 1, or it may be constructed, as shown in Fig. 4, `with a waterchamber, fi, porous non-conducting walls jj, and an interposed filling, la, of wood or other equivalent substance. This door should be constructed so that steam generated in its liquid-chamber may escape outwardly without allowing the water in such chamberto escape, and for this purpose suitable valves will be placed in its corners, as described, for the liquid-vessel C. i

I employ' the jacket D, which-may be made of wood or other suitable Y "instance, for the purpose. of forming a flask or mold in casting the coating c about the liquid-vessel C, as described, and also for the purpose of forming a steam-chamber between the two plaster walls for the circulation of steam issuing from the water-chamber C through one or the other of the pipes d. This steam-chamber will be formed when the wooden jacket D becomes converted into charcoal by the subjection of the safe to a lire. will be sufliciently porous to allow steam to circulate freely through it before esca-ping from the safe through suitable exit-openings` made for this purpose.

The wooden jacket D will also serve as a means for preventing the plaster walls c and g from crumbling` and falling away from the metal walls, against which they are held, should the safe fall, or otherwise be subjected to a violent shock.

From the above description it will be seen that I have a reservoir of water or other liquid inclosin g the place of deposit A, which reservoir is inclosed by non-conducting or porous walls, between which a substance is introduced which will be converted into charcoal at a certain temperature, and thus leave a chamber for the circulation of steam issuing from the said water-chamber, and for the final escape of the steam through suitable apertures leading through the external wall or casing of the safe.

Liquid may be supplied to the chamber C through pipe h, or in any suitable manner and from any convenient source or head; and, if desirable, for portable safes, a valve opening inwardly may be applied to the inlet-pipe h,

which would prevent the escape of any water through this passage should the communication between the said chamber and the head or source of the supply of water be cut olf in case of fire.

Should it be found that the valves which I have described above, or valves equivalent to these, would not eifectually prevent leakage under ordinary pressure or weight of water in the water-chamber G of a portable safe, I elnploy plugs p in the tubes d', which are made of some suitable substance or compound which will fuse or melt at a temperature below that of boiling water.

If it should be desirable to provide, practically speaking, an inexhaustible supply of water to the safe or vault, constructed substantially as above described, or upon any other approved method that included suitable chambers or passages for water or other steamgenerating liquid, it would be the most practicable to construct a permanent foundation for the same, as shown in Fig. 4, which would not bc impaired by fire. Such a foundation might be obtained by building a brick or stone tower, H, from the rbase or foundation of a building up to the iirst, or even the second, story of said building, and inclosing live sides of the safe, and also a water-reservoir, K,

The charcoal thus formed placed above the safe, as shown in Fig. 4. This water-reservoir should beconnected by means of a pipe, J, also` inclosed within the tower, with the water-works of a city, or with any suitable source or head of water.

The reservoir K should be put in connection with the steam-chamber of the safe by means of pipes r, sealed with a plug, fv, which will fuse at a temperature below that of boiling water, and allow the escape of water into said steam-chamber. Said pipes r, with their fusible plugs, may be applied at different points about the sides of the safe or steamchamber, so that when any one part or side of the safe is exposed to undue heat the water from the reservoir K will be allowed to escape, substantially as shown by Fig. 6, Sheet 2. By placing salt in the reservoir K and vessels C the water introduced therein would not be liable to freeze.

The advantage gained by the supplemental reservoir K is that, should the main supply of water be cut off from some cause during a time of fire, there will still be left a quantity of water to preserve the safe for a considerable length of time after the water or other heat-resistir] g qualities contained in the walls of the safe became exhaust-ed by the action of the heat.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have represented another mode of supplying the permanently-located safe or vault with water, irrespective of the water contained in its chamber C. Before applying the coating g to the safe I provide the safe with a pipe, s, so as to lie against the back and both sides of the safe, about midway of the height thereof. rIhis pipe s has three vents, t t t, which are sealed with some substance that will fuse at or near the temperature of boiling water, and thus allow water from pipe s to enter the steam-chamber formed by the conversion of the jacket D into charcoal, or otherwise formed, and escaping thence, through a vent provided, into the steam-chamber of the door, and thence out of the safe through the vent. The same means for escaping the water is provided to the safe shown by Fig. 4, Sheet 2. 'Ihis mode dispenses with the reservoir K, the connection being made direct from the water-head with the safe or vault.

As the metal walls of a safe which is adapted for being supplied with water to render it fire-proof would be liable to destruction from corrosion, I shall coat the inside of the shell B with parafne or some other substance which will prevent such corroding action.

Fig. 7 shows a half-section of the half-round ball and socket described in my previous application for a patent, by means of which, when applied in the top and bottom hinged edge ofthe door, water can be received into the door at its top and allowed to escape at its bottom, the said ball and sockets being both connected by a pipe with the steam-chamber of the body of the safe and the door.

Having described my invention, whatl I l claim as new, and desirerto secure by Letters -Patent, is- V l. Constructing the liquid chambers or vessels of a safe or Vault of a iiexible metal, in the manner substantially as set forth and shown.

2. Constructing the walls of a safe or vault, or the doors thereof, substantially, as shown and set forth, wherein steam chambers or passages formed of porous and absorbent 'substance arev provided by the use of the jacket D, or its substantial equivalent.

3. In combination with a safe or Vault Whose Walls are rendered, or intended to be, fire-proof by a non-conducting lling or substance, so constructing such safe or vault as to adapt it for being supplied with Water or other steam-generating liquid from a suitable source or fountain-head or reservoir which is outside of the Walls of the safe or Vault, substantially as shown and described.

4.In a safe, the use ofthe ball-valve arrangement, constructed asA shown and described, or other construction that is its substantial equivalent.

5. In a safe or vault, the use of the vessel or jacket b b, or its equivalent, inclosing the lplac'eof deposit, constructed land arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 6. The combination and arrangement of the fusible plugs p with the chamber C and steamspace between the lling material c g, substantially as described;

7. Sustaining the illin g-Walls 0 g by means .of an interposed jacket, D, which is composed of Wood, or an equivalent substance which, when it is exposed to fire, Will be rendered porous, and thus leave in its stead a steam-chamber, substantially as described.

H. H. BRYANT. Witnesses:

EDMUND H. HEWiNs, EDWARD GRIFFITH. 

